Striker plate



Sept. 17, 1940. e. w. wELLs 1 2,215,434

STRIKER PLATE Filed Nov. 1?, 195a JPWMM 530F131." W WE'LLE automobiles.

Patented Sept. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES STRIKER PLATE George W. Wells, Amesbury, Mass, assignor to Harley C. Loney Company, Detroit, Mich a corpcration of Michigan Application November 17, 1938, Serial N04 240,921

6 Claims. (01. 292440) The present invention relates to improvements in latch or keeper means particularly designed to be used onthe doors of Vehicles, although it is not so limited in its use. v Latch or keeper means designed to yield to the bolt to be latched, thus avoiding the necessity of bolt retraction at the time a door is closed and latched, are known, as shown in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,574,023 and 1,634,634. Reference may also be had to U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,511,216, upon which the present invention is considered to be an improvement.

According to the present invention, a striker plate embodying keeper means yieldable to the bolt is provided which is simple and inexpensive in construction and may readily be installed as a replacement part for the conventional striker plate with fixed latches now in general use upon My improved latch .construction is considered to be more silent in operation and permits the door to be closed with less effort than similar latches heretofore proposed due to the relative location and design of the yieldable latch members. l

Thus, one object of the invention is to provide latch means yieldable to the bolt, in which displacement of the yieldable latch by the bolt takes place during a substantial portion of the closing movement of the door.

Another object of the invention is to provide keeper means yieldable to the bolt which are so designed that the displacement action of the bolt and bolt latching movement of the latch is of such a character as to be substantially silent under normal operation of door closure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a striker plate assembly having keeper means yieldable to the bolt which may be readily installed as a replacement part for conventional striker plates, namely, in general use upon automobiles.

A still further object is to provide keeper means yieldable to the bolt of such a construction that the keeper means is gradually raised and then lowered into bolt latching position, with the engaging surfaces of the keeper means and bolt in continuous contact throughout the latching movement, whereby the actionv of the keeper means is substantially noiseless.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a latch for retractible bolts having a' yieldable keeper member which is cammed out of latching position through a substantial portion of the closing action of the door and lowered into latching position with the door fully closed without abrupt relative movement between engaging parts.

Anothei object is to provide keeper means yieldable to a retractible bolt pivotally supported at a point forward of the latched position of the v bolt with the pivotal point of the yieldable member above the point of engagement between the yieldable member and the bolt.

These and other objects and advantages residing in the present invention and residing in the 151 combination and arrangement and construction of parts will more fully appear from the following detailed specificationand will be set forth in the annexed claims.

In the drawing, 1c

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of the striker plate assembly showing the bolt in full latch position,

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the bolt in intermediate position in full line and in safety latch in dotted line, g

Fig. 3 is an end View of the striker plate assembly, I

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on line IVIV of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of the invention,,and

Fig. 6 is an end view of a modified 'form of latching member.

Referring to Figs. 1 through 4, the latch structure Hi comprises a backing plate I2 having elongated openings l4 and I6 punched therefrom.

Portions l8 and 20 integral with the. plate l2 from upper and lower opposed channel portions having outer flanges 22 and 24. A fiat plate 26 is door column in the usual manner. By tightening up upon the screws 32 and 34 the plate. 261rigidly clamps the plate H! in position. By loosening the screws 32 and 34 the plate I2 may be adjusted relative thereto. within the limits permitted-by the openings [4 and I6. The plate 26 is slotted at 36 and 38 to clear the screws 40 and 42, which serve as pivot pins for the pivoted latch members 44 andv 46. These latch members are yieldably urged toward the longitudinal center line of the construction 'thr'ough coil springs 48, and 50 seated in'pockets 52 and 54 defined in the latch members 44 and 46, respectively, and which bear outwardly against the channel portions of the plate l2. To limit the inward position of the latch members 44 and 46, the same have flat portions 56 and 58 at their inner ends, which engage with the channel portions of the plate 12 as stops. Preferably, the spacing of the latch members 44 and 46 at the pivoted ends isonly slightly greater than the width of the bolt 60 so that the camming action of the bolt will move the same in substantially a horizontal plane in traveling across the latch structure, as shown in full line in Fig. 2. The opposed face portions 62 and 64 are preferably of uniform contour, being shown substantially flat. This arrangement results in the latch members 44 and 46 presenting a tapered groove to the bolt, with the end portions 66 and 68 defining the throat of the tapered groove and providing guiding surfaces directly adjacent the axis of the pivoted pins. As the initial point of engagement between the bolt and the latch members. and 46 is to the left of the axis of rotation of the pivot pins, thrust due to misalignment of the 'bolt 60 and the latch structure ill will be directly transferred to the plate l2 through the latch members 44 and 46 without any yielding movement upon the part of the latch members 44 and 46. v

As the bolt 66 moves between the members 44 and 46, the same occupy a substantially horizontal position, with the lower edge of the bolt following along the curved seat approach?!) to seat in the safety catch position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2. The further inward movement of the bolt 66 will bring the same into the fully closed latched position shown in Fig. l, with the latch member 44 moving into a latched position at the time the upper edge of the bolt 60 is sliding along the curved seat approach portion 12. The curvatures of the seat approach portions 16 and 12 are preferably designed so that there will be no loss of contact between the latch members 44 and 46 and the bolt 60 upon normal door closure and in this manner avoid abrupt engagement, producing clicking or other objectionable noises. Preferably, the inward position of the members 44 and 46, as limited by the fiat portions 56 and 58, is substantially that which the members assume when latching the bolt 66, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The curvature of the seat approach 72, for example, at 18 may with advantage'very closely approach the vertical so that the tension of the spring 48, although preferably relatively light, will be capable of holding the door snugly closed and free from rattle.

In Fig. is shown a modified form of construction in which similar latching members 80 and 82 are supported in the backing plate I2 in the manner of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Each of the latching members 86 and 82 have safety catch portions 84 and 86, re spectively, as well as end portions 88 and 96 for latching the bolt 60 in its fully closed position are shown in full line. The curvature of the safety catch portions 84 and 86, as well as that of the end portions 88 and 96, may be similar to that of the members 44 and 46 of Figs. 1 and 2' so as to give the same quiet operation. The latch members 80 and 62 are beveled at 92 and 94 so as to enable the bolt upon projection movement to cam the latch members 66 and 82 outwardly in opposite directions to insure the engagement of the bolt 66 with the safety latch portions Hand 86.

In Fig. 6 is shown a slightly modified form of latching member 44' and 46' in that the outer ends of the latch portions are beveled at 96 and 68 so asto present a surface along which the bolt 60 may travel to cam the latch members 44' and 46' in opposite directions to enable the same to move into the position shown in full line in Fig. 1 and in dotted line in Fig. 2 in the event in closing the door the bolt is held in a retracted position by rotating or depressing the bolt operating handle and then permitted to project with the door closed or substantially closed. The latching members 44' and 46 may correspond identically to the latching members 44 and 46 except for the beveled portions 96 and 98 adjacent the outer ends thereof. Unless some provision such as this is made, it would be quite possible for the bolt 66 to engage with a vertical side of either the latch 44 or 46 and slide alongthe side thereof without any latching engagement being effected.

It should be apparent from Fig. 1 that my preferred arrangement of the latches 44 and 46 is such that they present a tapering'channel portion to the bolt '66 prior to the time the bolt enters the striker plate assembly and thereafter,as shown in full line in Fig. 2, forms a guiding channel for the bolt 66. Both the latches 44 and 4-6 are in contact with the bolt throughout a substantial portion of its travel across the striker plate. As above pointed out, the ends of the latching members 44 and 46 have been so designed that they will move intolatching position with the bolt without losing contact with it so as to eliminate to a great extent any objectionable clicking sound so conventional in all automobile door locks generally being used.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim is:

1. A striker plate assembly, comprising a backing plate, portions of said backing plate defining opposed channel portions at the top and bottom, latching members of diiferent lengths pivotally supported atone end in said channels, means upon which said members are pivoted, resilient means for urging said members toward the line of movement of the bolt, and means for limiting said movement, said members at their pivoted ends being spaced approximately the width of the bolt, the opposed faces of said members defining relatively flat surfaces along which .the bolt travels, the other ends of said members having curved portions approaching lock-ing shoulders at the ends thereof.

2. In a door latching mechanism, a striker plate for a retractible latch bolt, comprising upper and lower latch members of different lengths, a base plate, upon which said members are mounted in spaced relation in the same vertical plane, pivot. pins in substantially vertical alignment upon which the outer ends of said members are supported, said members at their pivoted ends being spaced at a distance approximating the width of the bolt, the opposed surfaces of said members being relatively flat throughout their entire length to present a uniform surface along 3. in a door latching mechanism having a retractible bolt, a striker plate, comprising a base plate in the form of a pair of spaced channels having a common vertical web portion, a clamping plate disposed upon the outer side of said web portion and adjustable relative thereto in a parallel plane so as to adjust said base plate along the door frame, aligned openings of different sizes in said web and clamping plate to receive fasteners, upper and lower latch members pivotally supported in said channels with their outer ends adjacent the outer ends of said channels, means swinging the inner ends of said members toward the path traversed by the bolt, said members being spaced approximately the vertical dimension of said bolt, the initial engagement of said bolt and members being adjacent their pivoted ends, and shoulder portions on said members adapted for latching the bolt.

4. In a door latching mechanism having a retractible bolt, a striker plate, comprising upper and lower latch members pivoted at their outer ends, said latches having recesses therein, a fixed abutment associated with each latch, helical springs disposed in said recesses and abutting against said abutments for urging the inner free ends of said. members toward the path traversed by the bolt, said members being spaced at their pivoted ends a distance approximating the vertical dimension of the bolt, and bolt latch shoulders upon said members spaced transversely of the striker plate, said members being disposed one above the other in substantially the same plane and defining a channel along which the bolt travels, said members having initial engagement with the bolt upon door closure at a point adjacent their pivoted ends and being cammed outwardly in opposite directions by the traversing action of the bolt therealong.

5. A striker plate, comprising a base plate adapted to be fastened upon a vertical door frame, upper and lower latch members disposed in substantially the same plane and defining a channel along which the bolt is adapted to traverse upon door closure, means pivotally supporting said latch members at one end and from said base plate adjacent the side thereof next to the outside of the door frame, resilient means for urgadapted to be fastened upon a door frame, a pair of latch members disposed in substantially the same plane and defining a channel along which the bolt is adapted to traverse upon door closure, means pivotally supporting said latch members at one end and from said base plate adjacent the side thereof next to'the outside of the door frame,

resilient means for urging said latch members into an inclined position and toward the path of movement of the bolt, said latch members being spaced at the pivotal ends a distance approximating the width of the bolt and being urged apart by the bolt in traversing therealong, and shoulder l portions upon said pair of members at different distances from the pivotal connection thereof behind which the bolt is adapted to be latched.

GEORGE W. WELLS. 

